• Michael Dooley, Conductor

    Michael Dooley

    Conductor

    An honours graduate of Waterford Institute of Technology and of Trinity College Dublin, Michael Dooley began his brass and woodwind studies with Tommy Joyce, continued with Martin Prynn, Professor J.M.Thome and Graham Salvage.

    He is a  regular orchestral  performer with the RTE Concert Orchestra, and has played with the National Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra  and The Irish Chamber Orchestra. He is a founder member of the Limerick Wind Octet, The Limerick Philharmonic and is Bandmaster of St. Patrick's Brass Band  while also conducting  the Galway Youth Orchestra.

    Michael has worked also as musical director for a number of Galway musical societies and the Limerick City Big Band.

    A keen early jazz enthusiast he is a member of the Downtown Dixieland band in Limerick and the Galway Bay Jazz Band appearing with them at many of the Jazz festivals around the country.

    He is principal bassoonist with the Irish Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the LCU Orchestra. He is on the teaching staff at the Limerick School of Music  and is the bassoon and woodwind coach of the international faculty of the annual BISYOC orchestral summer course held  throughout Europe each summer.
  • Finola Molony, ULO Leader

    Finola Molony

    Leader

    Finola is a past pupil of the Limerick School of Music where she studied violin with Eileen Hudson and piano with Moira Gray. She has enjoyed success both as an individual and in chamber music at Féile Luimní and Feis Ceoil. During this time she was a member of the Junior National Youth Orchestra and the Irish National Youth Orchestra.

    On leaving Limerick, Finola kept up her orchestral and chamber group interests, performing with the Trinity Orchestra Dublin, and both Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra and Kings College London Orchestra. Finola has been a member and co-leader of the ULO since returning to Limerick in 2013, and has led the orchestra since 2022.